Guest asholmes Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Have used Wanda Sanseri's Spell to Write and Read and also the Phonics Road. Philosophically I love these programs, but realistically my 6 year old twin boys and I are miserable! Have stuck with it for a while now, thinking it might get better.....it hasn't. And the thought that I am supporsed to do it over and over for the next 4-6 years is horribly daunting. Any ideas/suggestions about where I might consider going from here? Other program recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorrainejmc Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I recently switched from 100ez lessons to jolly phonics. My ds5 knew the letter sounds before we started 100ez lessons but we both struggled:confused: Within a week of switching, he is reading the 1st level HOP books, making words with magnetic letters as I dictate and writing better too. The best thing is he takes out his books to read independently and says he loves school now. It's a UK program but I think there is a US spelling version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosyl Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Sometimes reading just doesn't click until a kid is in 4th or 5th grade. Don't stress, it will come. Work on letter sounds and relax. sometimes they can't write and read--it uses 2 different sides of the brain and they can't put them together. you can switch to another program (I like AAS), but phonics is phonics and repetition is the mother of retention. really, if you can help it, don't stress. (I stressed over my 1st) just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Are there any vision problems involved? That's probably one of the first things I'd check. What exactly isn't working? Are they blending yet, or no? Where exactly are they, and what part are they having trouble with? That might help people give you better recommendations. It could be that they're just not developmentally ready, or it could be that there is something else at work (such as a vision problem or some other type of problem). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 While I wouldn't ditch phonics completely I'd favor a lot more time doing read-aloud books with them. That was one mistake I made that I am rectifying now. I've seen much more interest in reading the more books my twin boys hear me read, and the audio-books are on whenever they are playing. I thought I was reading a lot, but they need more books than I can read without getting hoarse! Their vocabulary is expanding like microbes in a Petri plate. The other thing I've done is to use Webster's Speller in place of OPTGR, and we also use the McGuffey Readers for oral practice a few times a week. I introduced Webster's as "bites of words" and the boys were really excited to be able to read potato and tomato after only a few lessons. I've still got OPTGR and I actually kind of like it for spelling. But for now, Webster's is making everyone very, very happy in my house. And it doesn't have to be done sitting down, which is a big plus with seven year old boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 My ds fought tooth and nail until about 2 months ago. Then he was ready. Maybe its just that your ds's are not ready. I would wait and retry in the fall. Do not worry about age, they WILL get it. I was prepared to have the worlds first homeschooled adult who could not read then he brought me his Phonics Pathways and said "Can we do phonics?" :svengo: In 2 months he went from hardly knowing his letter sounds to reading cvc words. He still sounds most of them out but we are practicing. Somedays he only works on it 10 minutes a day sometimes an hour (NOT straight) but he has made huge leaps and bounds in my opinion in the last 2 months. I started with OPG and he HATED it (BUT this was in the fall when he was NOT ready) Now I checked it out from the library and he likes it. So we use Phonics Pathways as our main program and supplement with OPG when he needs something a little different. We also use Explode the Code for when he needs something different. We also use Starfall for when he needs something different. You get the idea. He would never be able to stick with 1 program and only 1 program. We also use MFW phonics. Go check out what your library has (next fall, not now) and see how different approaches fit. But make sure you use something as a "spine" so you know you do not accidentally miss important concepts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I was there with my oldest when he was 6yo...SWR...not reading...miserable... We used a mix of Recipe for Reading and Happy Phonics for a long while, de-SWRing.;) We are using Dancing Bears Fast Track for reading and Apples & Pears for spelling now. LOVING it, but not far enough into the programs to give a hearty review. Even so, I've seen marked progress in a short period of time. http://www.prometheantrust.org/usshop.htm You can look through the entire books to get a feel of them and decide if they would work for you. (My ds8 jumped for JOY!!! when I sold SWR.:tongue_smilie:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Phonics Pathways, with daily drill and lots of encouragement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 What do you mean by it isn't "working"? That y'all hate it is one thing; that your dc haven't learned to read at all is something else. Also, since they're just 6, that means you must have started when they were 5ish, and in that time you've used two different products. It's possible that they were not ready. My younger dd was not reading at her age level until she was 9½yo. I did Spalding for about 6 weeks with her when she was 6, and when she was 7, and when she was 8...Although I did go through R&S's "Unit O" (which now has another name...I forget what), which is true phonics, I beleived that Spalding was best and didn't try something different. She wasn't ready when she was younger. Maybe that's the case with your dss. Maybe you should put SWR for awhile and let things percolate and see what happens in a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 What do you mean by it isn't "working"? That y'all hate it is one thing; that your dc haven't learned to read at all is something else. :iagree: My kids HATED the OPGTR, for instance. ETC works just fine, though, as does AAS. It was the method, not the content for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorrainejmc Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 :iagree: My kids HATED the OPGTR, for instance. ETC works just fine, though, as does AAS. It was the method, not the content for them. :iagree: Same as my ds with 100ez lessons. Honestly? If I was 5 or 6, I would rather use a program (jolly phonics) with coloured magnetic letters, cute colouring sheets and puppets (I had to get the puppets:tongue_smilie:) than one of these programs that I see mentioned here a lot. Just my opinion.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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